Old school baseball is a joke.
When Phillies closer Jonathan Paplebon came out to say that Yasiel Puig being voted into the All Star game would be a joke, one was just waiting for the slew of other Puig ‘naysayers’ to come out the woodwork to throw shade his way.
No surprise that today it came from the ‘other’ LA team, from Mike Scioscia manager of the struggling Anaheim Angels. Scioscia is one of those classic ‘old school’ baseball guys, who’s spent more time in the game than most have spent time just on the planet Earth–so I guess he thinks that makes him an expert on everything.
“I think he needs to go a little farther to earn it. If he’s not an All-Star this year, he’s going to be an All-Star for years to come. But I do think you have to play enough to earn a spot on the All-Star team…[t]here’s a pull to bring the best players to the game, because of the bearing it has on home-field advantage in the World Series.”
First off, no duh there’s a ‘pull to bring the best players to the game’ it’s the All Star game for crying out loud, not a Hall of Fame induction.
Secondly, with much precedent on the All Star game due to the World Series homefield implications, I honestly can’t help but feel Scioscia is kinda jealous, being in the AL and all.
Whatever his reasons for attacking Puig for being ‘too good’ too fast, it’s silly and it’s a sign that many ‘old school’ baseball farts have no feel for today’s game.
As the ratings slip for the sport now’s the time to be progressive and give the fans what they want. Maybe it’s time Scioscia and others realize that.
H/T: NBC Sports